The 16th Annual Buy Nothing Day Winter Coat Exchange will take place at 9 locations in Rhode Island on Friday November 23. Winter Coats will be given away starting at 9 or 10 AM at locations in Bristol, Cranston, East Providence, Newport, North Kingstown, Pawtucket, Providence, Wakefield, and Warwick.
In the age of Wall St crashing the economy and climate change, we have raised overconsumption to an art form that is tearing apart the ecosystems of the planet and our communities. To remind us of the madness many years ago people started celebrating Buy Nothing Day to protest basing our society on consumerism.

This year for the 16th year people in Rhode island will gather to collect winter coats from those who no longer need them, and distribute them to Rhode Islanders who can use them. Over the years we have grown to 9 sites and hundreds of volunteers (thanks to the YMCA for adding a number of sites to the network this year) that collect and give away winter coats instead of heading to the malls, We are sending a message of rethinking consumerism while actively providing a resource for our communities.

Anyone who can donate a coat is asked to donate a coat. Anyone who needs a coat is invited to come get a coat. Visit http://prosperityforri.com/2012-bnd-sites/ for the sites near you.

If you are interested in planting trees in your neighborhood this Spring, now is the time to apply for a Neighborhood Street Tree Planting Award from PNPP. Applications are due Tuesday January 15, 2013 and require a bit of legwork in your neighborhood to complete, so act now to meet the deadline.

The Providence Neighborhood Planting Program (PNPP) is a partnership of the Mary Elizabeth Sharpe Street Tree Endowment, the City of Providence and Providence residents that plants trees in Providence neighborhoods along sidewalks. Since 1988, The Mary Elizabeth Sharpe Street Tree Endowment has matched Providence Parks Department funds to provide trees, soil, sidewalk preparation, and tree delivery at no cost to Providence residents who apply for and receive a Neighborhood Street Tree Planting Award. To date, PNPP has planted 9,530 street trees with the help of 753 neighborhood groups.

To receive street trees through the Neighborhood Street Tree Planting Award, neighborhoods will need a volunteer to complete the application and help PNPP organize the planting. Complete applications include: requests from at least five properties for at least one tree at each property within a one to two city block area and a commitment from the property owners and/or residents requesting trees to plant their tree on planting day, water the tree weekly and weed the area around the tree regularly. If a resident requesting a tree does not own the property, PNPP will need documentation of property owner consent to the tree planting.

PNPP considers Elmwood, Federal Hill, Lower and Upper South Providence, Olneyville, Reservoir, Smith Hill, Valley, Washington Park and West End neighborhoods high priority planting areas and encourages applications from these neighborhoods especially. However, all Providence neighborhoods are eligible for tree awards.

This fall, PNPP facilitated the planting of 225 street trees in the following Providence Neighborhoods: Blackstone, Charles, Elmhurst, Elmwood, Federal Hill, Reservoir, Valley, and West End.

Trees 2020 (Trees2020.org) offers low cost trees for private property planting. When PNPP applicants order a minimum of 5 trees for private property through Trees 2020, PNPP will deliver all the trees together, helping their neighborhood to plant as many trees as possible in one day.

Thursday, August 23, 2012

Join the fun at Audubon Society of Rhode Island’s Raptor Weekend, the largest celebration of birds of prey in New England! Help with kids' games and activities, admission, parking, food table, crafts, face painting, and more. Volunteer shifts are 9 AM to 1 PM and 12:30 PM to 4:30 PM. Setup shift also available on Friday, September 7 from 2-5 PM. Groups of up to 15 people welcome. Volunteers are welcome to enjoy the event for free before or after their shift. Located at the Environmental Education Center at 1401 Hope St, Bristol, RI. Contact July Lewis at jlewis@asri.org or at 401-949-5454 x3044 to sign up! www.asri.org

* Volunteers must be at least 13 to participate, and 13-15 year old volunteers must be accompanied by an adult.

Thursday, May 31, 2012

Grab your camera and head to the R.I. shoreline *June 2 and 3* to photograph some of the highest high tides of the year. Send your photos to Rhode Island Sea Grant, and you may see your photo published in the magazine /41°N <http://seagrant.gso.uri.edu/41N/index.html>/. The photographer who captures the best photo will receive a prize worth $50.

Rhode Island Sea Grant is partnering with the R.I. Coastal Resources Management Council and Save The Bay to record ongoing flooding from high tide events, and we are particularly interested in photos capturing the effect of flooding on shoreline homes, business, roads, bridges, and other infrastructure. These areas are increasingly vulnerable to flooding during extreme high tide events, and as sea levels rise due to climate change, extreme tides may become the norm within a few decades.

This spring’s extreme high tide will be most pronounced at approximately 6:55 p.m. on Saturday, June 2, and at 7:45 p.m. on Sunday, June 3. These times are for Newport, R.I. Visit NOAA’s webpage on tide predictions (http://tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov/tide_predictions.shtml) for specific times for your location, as timing of high tide varies along the coast. (Providence is 17 minutes later; Westerly is 41 minutes later.)

When taking your pictures please remember to record your *location *(street and town), *time and date, description* of what you are seeing, and *contact information* so we can give you credit for the picture and consideration for the prize. If known, please also include the *direction* (e.g., “facing north”) the photo was taken. Taking “before and after” shots—that is, showing what an area looks like when it is and is not flooded—are also helpful. And please, be careful! Take precautions to avoid slippery rocks or other hazards.

*If you have a Flickr account, upload your photographs to the Flickr group “Rhode Island High Tide 2012” at http://www.flickr.com/groups/ritide2012/. If you do not have a Flickr account, please e-mail pictures to allard@gso.uri.edu <mailto:allard@gso.uri.edu>. *

The Coastal Resources Center at the University of Rhode Island/Rhode Island Sea Grant has been working in cooperation with the R.I. Coastal Resources Management Council, Save The Bay, and other organizations on issues related to sea level rise and its impact on communities, as well as identifying ways to adapt to its effects. Pictures will provide important information for local and state planners. For more information, please visit http://seagrant.gso.uri.edu/coast/sealevelrise.html.

Rhode Island Envirothon, Inc. will hold its annual competition on Friday, May 18, 2012 beginning at 8:30 a.m. and ending at 1:30 p.m. at Goddard Memorial State Park in Warwick, RI. U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse will speak and present the awards at the awards ceremony.

The one-day event marks the culmination of a year of dedicated, hard work for high school students from around the State who will compete in teams of five to address environmental issues in four subject areas which include aquatic ecology, forestry, wildlife, and soils and land use, plus one special environmental issue which changes annually.

For 2012, the environmental issue is the “Low impact development and non-point source pollution”. Schools participating in this year’s event include The Blackstone Academy, Coventry High School, The Greene School, Narragansett High School, Scituate High School, and The Wheeler School. The winning team has the opportunity to represent Rhode Island in the Canon North American Envirothon which will take place in Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania July 22-27, 2012.

Envirothon is an environmental education program available to high school students where they take classes and participate in workshops on subjects including aquatic ecology, forestry, wildlife, and soils and land use. The mission of RI Envirothon, Inc. is to cultivate a desire in students to learn more about our natural environment, develop a greater appreciation of our dependence on the environment, and promote a sense of personal stewardship of natural resources to enhance the quality of life for all in Rhode Island.

Friday, May 11, 2012

I am looking for volunteers to help me with our 2012 United States Department of Agriculture smoky-winged beetle bandit biosurveillance survey! The USDA and Rhode Island DEM have been cooperating on this survey for three years. This insect is NOT harmful to Humans!!! It DOES NOT STING HUMANS!!!

What it DOES DO is find Buprestidae beetles from the tree canopy of the surrounding forest, stun them, carry them back to their nests and bury them as food for their young. We find this to be helpful because it is very DIFFICULT for US to find Buprestidae beetles!!! Therefore, we use the smoky-winged beetle bandit to get to the Buprestidae beetles from the treetops.

What I need from volunteers:

People who are willing to visit baseball fields multiple times in July to collect Buprestidae beetles from the smoky-winged beetle bandit. Collection is either by finding Buprestidae beetles that were discarded by the nests or by netting the Smoky Winged beetle bandit and taking the Buprestidae beetles from her… and then releasing her to go catch more! The smoky winged beetle bandit is NOT HARMED in this process!!! We try to collect 50 beetles at each site if possible! I will have a training day in June for anybody who is willing to participate in this survey.

The beetles collected from this survey typically are wood-boring insects. Therefore, the species collected give us an idea of what trees might be under attack in the area or if any invasive beetles are present such as Emerald Ash Borer, the oak splendor beetle, or the goldspotted oak borer. (none of these are known to be in Rhode Island currently!!)

We have multiple locations in Rhode Island with known colonies and many locations that have never been visited due to lack of people-power! If you know people who might be interested in this interesting scientific survey.... please let me know!

The only Safety concern regarding this survey is that these beetles are most active on hot/sunny days. Volunteers must be able to be outside in these conditions. (Water, sunscreen and hats are essential to complete this survey!)

We've created this email address smokywingedbeetlebanditsurvey@gmail.com in order to facilitate volunteers for this survey. Feel free to forward it to others. If this is something you could add to your website or put into an email to your tree stewards, that would be great!

PROVIDENCE –Department of Environmental Management Director Janet Coit was presented with an award for DEM’s exceptional impact on Rhode Island’s tourism industry at the 27th Annual Tourism Unity Luncheon and Travel Exchange held today at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Warwick.

The 2012 Special Recognition Award was given in recognition of DEM’s development, maintenance and enhancement of the state’s natural assets that make Rhode Island a more beautiful place for residents and visitors. Governor Lincoln Chafee presented the award to Director Coit at the event, which celebrated the tourism and hospitality industry’s many contributions to the state’s economy and its role in promoting Rhode Island’s beauty, history, and culture to visitors locally, regionally and around the world.

“Visiting our parks, beaches, farms, historic sites, and bikeways is an experience that brings joy to your life,” said Director Coit as she accepted the award. “These spectacular natural places are what make Rhode Island truly special, and sharing them with family, friends and visitors creates memories that will last a lifetime.”

The theme of DEM facilities promoting tourism and economic development was highlighted throughout the event as several speakers took the podium, including Warwick Mayor Scott Avedisian, who spoke about the preservation of the Rocky Point shoreline; Bob Billington, President of the Blackstone Valley Tourism Council who spoke about the Blackstone Bike Path; and Myrna George, President of South County Tourism who spoke about state beaches and parks in South County.

Director Coit said, “Our state hosts an incredible diversity of natural resources, and I am humbled and honored to accept this award on behalf of DEM staff for the work they do every day to maintain these magnificent places for the public good.” Director Coit noted that she is particularly proud of how our state facilities are accessible to people of all ages and physical abilities. “Every time I go on the East Bay Bike Path, hang out at Salty Brine State Beach in Galilee, or visit Lincoln Woods or other state parks, I smile and feel grateful that these areas are available to all and well-loved by everyone.”

Honorees at the event were congratulated for helping to make travel and tourism a $5.2 billion industry in Rhode Island that supports more than 41,000 jobs. Increased visitation equals job growth for Rhode Island. Every 187 visitors create a new job in the state, according to an IHS Global Insight study of 2010 Rhode Island tourism results.

This year’s luncheon theme of “Beautiful Rhode Island” focused on the beauty and enjoyment of the state’s natural, cultural and historical gems. Director Coit credited Governor Lincoln Chafee for inspiring the “Beautiful Rhode Island” slogan because he remarks so often about Rhode Island’s unique beauty, physical attributes, and natural assets.

“From the quiet white pine forest in Western Rhode Island, to the sandy barrier beaches of South County, to the rocky shores of Little Compton, we have a lot to be proud of in Beautiful Rhode Island,” said Director Coit.

Thursday, May 03, 2012

DEM ANNOUNCES OPENING OF FOUR WEEKLY FARMERS' MARKETS AT STATE PARKS THIS WEEK; OTHER MARKETS OPERATED BY DEM SLATED TO OPEN IN MID-JULY

Bedding Plants, Flowers Available at Farmers’ Markets for Mother’s Day, Memorial Day

PROVIDENCE - The Department of Environmental Management announces that four farmers' markets located in state parks will open on a weekly basis beginning this week. For the first few weeks, the popular markets primarily will offer bedding plants, hanging plants, cut flowers, early vegetable crops, honey, and maple syrup. As traditional local summer crops become available, more vendors will participate.

“The growing demand for local food is sending consumers flocking to farmers’ markets and farm stands across the state,” said DEM Director Janet Coit. “Greater access to locally grown products is also improving the nutritional health of Rhode Islanders. What a win-win this is for all involved – the public who have an opportunity to buy the freshest produce, meats and seafood possible, and the farmers who sell their products directly to consumers.”

The farmers' markets in DEM-operated parks and market hours of operation are:

Goddard Memorial State Park Farmers' Market in Warwick, Fridays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. beginning on May 4.

Colt State Park Farmers' Market in Bristol, Fridays from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. beginning on May 4.

Fishermens' Memorial State Park Farmers' Market in Narragansett, Sundays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. beginning on May 6.

Haines Memorial State Park Farmers' Market on Route 103 on the East Providence/Barrington line, Wednesdays from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. beginning on May 2.

The opening of the DEM Farmers' Markets coincides with the opening of many other farmers' markets throughout the state. Several additional farmers’ markets operated by DEM will open in mid-to-late July, including:

State Pier Nine Farmers Market at State Pier Nine in Newport, Fridays from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. beginning on July 20.

DEM Farmers' Markets accept farmers' market checks from the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) administered by the Department of Health. The successful Senior Farmers' Nutrition Program, administered by DEM for the past eight years, will be offered as the season progresses, with coupons expected to be available at senior centers sometime in July. To qualify for the program, persons 60 or older make a simple self-declaration of income based on household size. DEM coordinates the program in conjunction with the RI Department of Elderly Affairs.

Rhode Island has 1,219 farms, mostly family run, which occupy 61,000 acres. The state has a growing number of farmers markets (50) and other retail venues and collaborative efforts. According to the 2007 USDA Census of Agriculture, Rhode Island was ranked number three in the country for direct marketing sales of fruits and vegetables from farms to consumers, on a per farm basis. Rhode Island also had $6.3 million worth of agriculture sales sold directly to the public, equal to 9.5 percent of all agriculture market sales, which ranked Rhode Island first in the US for percentage of direct market sales. “Farmers’ markets help create a more sustainable, locally-based food system that benefits the Rhode Island economy and environment,” Director Coit noted.

DEM's Division of Agriculture and Resource Marketing, which helps farmers with marketing information, offers a free brochure that lists the locations of all farmers' markets and roadside stands, along with addresses, hours, days and months of operation, and telephone numbers. To obtain a free brochure, or participate in the state farmers' markets, please contact the Division at 222-2781. The brochure is also available on DEM's website, www.dem.ri.gov, by clicking on “Agriculture in Rhode Island” on the left side of the homepage, then “For Consumers,” then “Farmers Markets.”

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

PROVIDENCE - To recognize the importance of the state's $100+ million agriculture industry, the Department of Environmental Management will host Rhode Island Agriculture Day at the State House on Thursday, April 26.

This year’s RI Agriculture Day program will feature a rollout of the Agricultural Economic Impact Study conducted by URI in partnership with DEM, the RI Nursery and Landscape Association, RI Turf Grass Foundation, RI Agricultural Partnership and EDC. As part of the Rhode Island Agriculture Day festivities, approximately 50 exhibitors will host displays and offer local food samples in the State House Rotunda from 11:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The Agricultural Economic Impact Study to be released on Agricultural Day is a very recent assessment of the economic impact of local agriculture as well as what are commonly termed “green” industries (golf courses, landscaping, retail garden centers etc.). The study has revealed a very significant and wide-spread economic impact, to which Tom Sproul of URI will speak.

The Agriculture Day speaking program will begin at 2 p.m. in the Governor's State Room, and the exhibits will be on display through much of the day in the State House Rotunda. Along with DEM Director Coit, participants in the program include Tom Sproul, URI Agricultural Economist, Senator Susan Sosnowski, Representative Deborah Ruggiero, and Sarah Partyka and her father John of The Farmer’s Daughter and South County Farms, Inc. South Kingstown.

Wednesday, February 29, 2012

"Alternatives to Miracle Grow" - Take home growing tips and tweaks for the 2012 growing season. Hosted by New Urban Farmers. Find them every other Saturday, selling microgreens and mushrooms at the market!